With everything at our fingertips, social media has become a part of everyday life. Social media has become something that has changed the way people interact and how users obtain information. There are positive and negative aspects towards social networks; However, many times social media can become negative when used excessively. We are all different and use social media in different ways. One of the highlights of social media is a person's physical appearance. Social media has provided its users with various features and filters to alter their faces and bodies in order to improve their appearance. These filters distort the person's actual appearance into something the person is not. The filters are temporary and become a replacement for those who want to permanently modify their appearance with the filters mainly used on Snapchat and Instagram. Because filters are widely used, this can directly impact the self-esteem of social media users. When looking at influencers on social media, one forgets that their post has probably been heavily edited and enhanced to make it look perfect. Even some of the so-called “influencers” who seek to leave a positive message towards society are the ones who edit their physical appearances the most in order to look perfect. Realistically, it is impossible to achieve such perfection in real life.

Social media is a miniature version of someone's life or everything someone longs to have. Everything you see on social media is rarely the full scope of what reality is, creating a domino effect on social media users towards their emotions and how they feel towards themselves and others. Social networks have become one of the largest sources of information search. Although social media has created an outlet for various content creators to have a platform, some creators have used their influence to spread false information and mislead social media users. Regardless of the application being used, all applications have this problem. It is also important to remember that social media should not be the only resource for gathering information on any topic. From politics to what your body image should look like. This is why it is important to find the right resources for any type of topic. Social media can quickly become a place of negativity and toxicity. This can have a negative impact on someone's mental health by allowing social media to become a priority and the online persona to take precedence over your real life. Here are some questions that users should ask themselves to verify the reasons why they are using social networks.

  • Are you using social media as a substitute for real life? For example, if you're feeling lonely, instead of talking or hanging out with your real-life friends, do you turn to social media? Social media is fast and convenient when it comes to satisfying the cravings for human interaction. Another example is when you're feeling depressed, you turn to social media to express how you're feeling instead of talking to a friend, going for a walk, or going to the gym.
  • What type of social media user are you? Passive or active user? A passive social media user is when you simply scroll through social media anonymously. While an active social media user seeks connections with most of the content shown to them.
  • Are social networks a source of disappointment in your life? Many social media users tend to focus on what other people have and what they personally lack. Another big disappointment that social media can make users feel is that they have to change their appearance to fit into the online community.

Here are some examples of when a person is starting toxic and unhealthy use of social media:

  1. When you feel lonely, depressed, anxious, or stressed, you use social media more frequently in a way that eases your connection to others.
  2. You find yourself spending more time on social media than with your real-world friends. You become distracted from what is truly important in the real world and focus more on the online world.
  3. When you use social networks you feel a feeling of dissatisfaction with your personal and social life and your physical body. You begin to compare your life to others and feel the need to change yourself to see yourself “better.”
  4. These negative feelings begin to affect your mood more frequently and worsen potential symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. You realize that you have less time to reflect on yourself by interacting only with social media.
  5. Lastly, you continue to turn to social media for an answer or a coping mechanism, yet you create a cycle that never ends.

Here are some helpful tips on how to reduce the amount of time you spend on social media becoming negative in your life. Realistically, there is no way that social media can be completely eliminated from your life because social media drives the world around us. What can be realistic is the way you use social media. With so many apps available, there can be difficulty managing everything you feed yourself.

  1. Track which apps you use the most and spend the most time on. Based on your times, set small realistic goals that help reduce the amount of time spent on each application.
  2. Turn off your phone or put your phone on “do not disturb” every day or every other day at a certain time of day. There may also be rules about where and when not to use phones. For example, do not use phones when eating at the table.
  3. When social media becomes too addictive and completely consumes your life, a great solution is to turn off social media notifications. This small change can help you regain a sense of focus on yourself or other responsibilities you may have.
  4. Lastly, delete social media apps that you don't usually need to use. There is no point in maintaining applications that are not necessary. You are not missing important things.

Finding a healthy balance in your social media use is important, and it can look different for everyone. Social media is still fairly new and continually evolving as time goes on. It is important to take care of your mental health and leave social media aside to continue living in the real world.

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Karla Palma

She is a student at SAGU with a degree in psychology. He is from Houston, Texas, and currently lives in Waxahachie, Texas. She is an aspiring bilingual counselor.